Still Open All Hours to return to Doncaster for second series next month?

Darren Burke

Comedy fans are still waiting to hear if cornershop sitcom Still Open All Hours is to return to Doncaster for fiming of a second series this autumn.

The rehashed show, which featured comic legend Sir David Jason reprising his role as Granville, was filmed in Balby for two weeks last September and then aired over Christmas and the New Year.

There has been no official word from the BBC whether the show will return for a second run but rumours have been growing that the cameras could be back again next month to film at the converted Beautique hairdressing salon on the corner of Scarth Avenue and Lister Avenue.

The comedy was given a full series after a one-off special in 2013 proved the biggest show of that year’s Christmas schedules.

The six-part series, which focuses on life at the cluttered corner shop nearly thirty years on from the last episode of original show Open All Hours in 1985, also proved a smash hit with audiences, with some episodes drawing in more than eight million viewers.

The original series aired between 1973 and 1985 and featured the late comedy star Ronnie Barker as stuttering, penny-pinching, northern shopkeeper Arkwright with Jason playing his put-upon assistant Granville.

The reprised version sees Granville now running the shop while actresses Lynda Baron (Nurse Gladys Emmanuel) and Maggie Ollerenshaw (Mavis) also returned for the show along with new characters played by Tim Healy, Kulvinder Ghir and Johnny Vegas.

The streets in Balby were brought to a standstill for the filming for two weeks last September with hundreds of fans trying to catch a glimpse of the stars.

However, it is thought BBC bosses may be keeping tight-lipped over any filming schedules in a bid to prevent a repeat of onlookers descending on the set/